EAGAN, Minn. (March 16, 2006) — The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has granted Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) Full Accreditation as a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). PPOs are medical insurance plans in which members receive more coverage if they choose health care providers approved by or affiliated with the plan. Full Accreditation is granted to those PPO plans that have excellent programs for continuous quality improvement and meet NCQA’s rigorous standards. Blue Cross is the first PPO in the state to receive this accreditation.

“Earning Full Accreditation shows that a PPO is providing access to care and high quality service — it shows that the organization looks after its members’ interests,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA President.

NCQA standards for PPO Accreditation are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, reduce patient risk for unfavorable outcomes and create an environment of continuous improvement.

“We want to ensure that our members always receive the safest and highest quality care possible,” said Marc Manley, M.D., vice president and medical director for population health for Blue Cross. “An achievement like this is part of our dedication to our mission of making a healthy difference in people’s lives.”

NCQA’s PPO Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess PPO plans. The Accreditation evaluates how well a PPO plan manages all parts of its delivery system — physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services — in order to continuously improve health care for its members.

Blue Cross also maintains Excellent ratings for Blue Plus of Minnesota, its managed care organization, with both the commercial and Medicaid populations. The Excellent ratings for these populations are also the highest NCQA recognition that managed care organizations can earn.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A not-for-profit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.7 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to www.bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

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